Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
A Missouri man has admitted to charges related to child pornography and inappropriate contact with a minor. James Donald Goings, 36, from Overland, pleaded guilty to one felony count of receipt of child pornography in St. Louis on Tuesday.
Goings was identified by CyberTipline Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after he uploaded child sexual abuse material to a Google account. A court-approved search conducted by the St. Louis County Police Department on July 21, 2022, led to the recovery of computer equipment from his residence.
The investigation revealed that Goings traveled to Illinois where he engaged in sexual contact with a 15-year-old met through Grindr. He was also in communication with another teen from Georgia through the same platform. The second victim reported that Goings directed him during video calls to perform specific sexual acts.
In total, Goings possessed 2,500 images containing child sexual abuse material on his computer and an additional 190 images stored in his Google account.
Sentencing is scheduled for June, with potential penalties ranging from five to twenty years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, Goings will forfeit cell phones, computer equipment, and storage devices.
The case was investigated by both the St. Louis County Police Department and the Edwardsville Police Department in Illinois. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is handling prosecution duties.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child exploitation and abuse online.
For further information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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